I'm Over Here! Under the Pile of Poopy Diapers and Breast Pads.

I'm Alive!

4+ months later and I am coming out of the fog and getting the hang of this Mommy thing! It hasn't been easy.....ok, it was harder than I could've ever imagined, but here I am, multitasking! Nursing, blogging, and munching on chocolate chips (don't hate). 

Ellery is one healthy & happy girl! We have been learning quite a bit from each other and enjoying every minute of it! I'm hoping to begin posting again regularly after we move. You can expect some fabulous posts in the not so distant future. 

Ellery Stats:

Born on: April 28th,  2014

Weight:  9 lbs 1oz

Length:  19.5 inches

Now:     

Weight: 16.8 lbs      (~95th percentile)

Length:  26 inches   (97th percentile)

Stay Tuned!

Lots of Love <3

We Found Our Doula at a Pig Roast....

Yes, that's right, a pig roast, in a ski resort.

Casey (Daddy) and I had just moved to the area and we were lucky enough to end up living in a Ski Resort called Massanutten (I'm going to be really sad when we move again). A few weeks after we moved to Massanutten there was a Pig Roast/Pot Luck for residents of the resort and we decided to go. 

As we were walking into the lodge we were slightly worried we had moved to a retirement home. Everyone that we saw was about 50+ years older than us. We walked through the door and got in line to sign in. Standing behind us was the first young couple we had seen! I immediately struck up conversation with the woman, Maria. After signing in, everyone was filing to the back to grab a table. I scanned the room and saw that young couple again and immediately Casey and I looked at each other and walked over, without saying a word to each other.

We sat down and introduced ourselves. Of course the first question when you are nice and round is "How far along are you?" Maria and I started chatting about babies, as Casey and Maria's husband Ron, started chatting about......well, man stuff, I suppose. 

Maria and I got on the topic of occupations and she told me she was a Doula. Without taking a breath I said, "No Way! I've been looking into hiring a Doula!" We were instantly connected. After filling up on delicious food, we exchanged phone numbers and said our goodbye's. 

It was a complete act of fate meeting her that night. Now I don't suggest this as a method of trying to find a Doula. You'll have much better luck checking out the DONA International website or asking your Doctor or Midwife for recommendations.

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International & "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey and "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon

The Great Diaper Debate

Disposables vs. Cloth.

That is the question.

Congratulations! You have been given the great decision of how to handle your munchkin's poo!

This past weekend I attended a seminar on Cloth Diapering at a local natural baby store, Over the Moon, here in the mountains of Virginia. Prior to the seminar I had done my own research via the Internet and awesome cloth diapering friends, but I still managed to learn quite a bit at the seminar.

There are Pros and Cons to both sides, but I can't help but be a little biased toward cloth because that is what we've decided to do. So here it is!

Cloth Diaper Pros:

• Money saver
• Less waste/Environmentally friendly
• Better for baby's bottom
• Less stink!

Cloth Diaper Cons:

• More laundry
• Some daycares won't accept cloth diapers
• You have to rinse the poo out before you wash
• More labor-intensive than disposables

Disposable Diaper Pros:

• All daycares accept disposable diapers
• Super easy
• Don't have to rinse out poo
• No extra laundry

Disposable Diaper Cons:

• Stinkier than cloth
• Large amount of garbage
• More expensive than cloth
• Chemicals in diapers than can irritate baby's skin

When we decided to do cloth diapers a large determining factor was how much money we would be able to save. And you can save even more than just 2-3 years worth. You can hang on to those cloth diapers if you plan on having more children and double the savings, or maybe even triple them!

The typical Cloth Diaper stash will run you about $500, give or take, depending on the style of diaper you choose to buy (which I will dive into in a separate post). And there are plenty of websites to buy used Cloth Diapers to cut that $500 initial cost even lower.

Some websites where you can find used cloth diapers:

Here.... Craigslist
Here....... Diaper Swappers
And Here.... Cloth Diaper Trader

(I have not used Diaper Swappers or Cloth Diaper Trader, but I'd love to hear your experiences if you have!)

Happy Diapering!

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International
& "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey